Activity Report 2019 SUMMARY The year of 2019 will surely be remembered as a very eventful 12 months. It was a year that saw CONIFA collaborating with a major international sponsor for the first time, and working parallel with a hosting national government during the European Football Cup 2019. The year came came with ups and downs in regards to plans for the World Football Cup 2020. The main focus of 2019 was on the European Football Cup hosted in Artsakh and sponsored by Sportsbet.io. Holding an event of this size in a mostly unrecognized countries in the Caucasus came with a wealth of challenges for such small, volunteer-run organizations as CONIFA. As it was the first ever major international event hosted in Artsakh, it was equally challenging for the Artsakh FA and government. The result was a tournament that grabbed the attention of the football world, generated worldwide headlines and celebrated the spirit of CONIFA in a manner which will never be forgotten by anyone who was involved. It is fair to say that Artsakh 2019 set new standards for a European Football Cup and for the Republic of Artsakh alike – working hand in hand, the impossible was not only done, but done in a way that exceeded all expectations. As well as bringing CONIFA to the attention of millions around the world with journalists from over 100 media outlets attending the tournament, and more than 1.4 million Twitter impressions during the event, the tournament left a positive legacy as we increased the strength of the CONIFA family. As CONIFA’s profile continues to grow, it is almost inevitable that its membership will follow suit and 2019 saw the addition of four new members as diverse as Hawai’i and Mapuche. The Executive Committee elected and which has been operational in 2019: President: Per-Anders Blind (Sapmi / Sweden) 1st Vice President: Kristóf Wenczel (Hungary) 2nd Vice President Dimitri Pagava (Abkhazia / Russia / Sweden) General Secretary: Sascha Düerkop (Germany) Member Development Director: Paul Watson (United Kingdom) Legal Director: Kieran Pender (Australia / United Kingdom) Media Director: Cassie Whittell (United Kingdom) Women’s Football Director: Kelly Lindsey (USA / Hongkong) Tournament Director: Rene Jacobi (Germany) Referee Director: Roger Lundbäck (Sweden) African President: Justin Walley (United Kingdom) Asian President: Jens Jockel (Germany) European President Alberto Rischio (Padania / Italy) North American & Caribbean President: Noah Wheelock (Cascadia / Canada) Oceanian President: Ben Schultz (Australia) Executive Committee Member: Safin Kanabe (Kurdistan / Iraq) Activity Report 2019 Out of the six continents, two continents have created Continental Committees: The European Committee operational in 2019: President: Alberto Rischio (Padania / Italy) General Secretary: Piotr Podlewski (Poland) Women’s Football Management: Hakan Kuorak (Sapmi / Sweden) Sponsor Development Manager: Lorenzo Bernardini (Italy) Sponsor Development Manager: Matteo Poretti (Switzerland) Tournament Manager: Hiratch Yagan (Switzerland) Media Manager: Federico Borello (Italy) The Asian Committee operational in 2019: President: Jens Jockel (Germany) General Secretary: Oscar A. Mussons (Australia) Sponsoring & Marketing Manager: Asher Mulroney (Australia/Malaysia) Sponsoring & Marketing Manager: Franco Ficetola (Italy) Sponsoring & Marketing Manager: Frankie Lambert (United Kingdom) Financial Manager: Mehmet Mimoglu (Northern Cyprus) Regional Manager Central Asia: Medet Mukanov (Kyrgyzstan) Regional Manager East Asia: Motoko Jitsukawa (Japan) Regional Manager South-East Asia: Silambarasan Devraj (India / Latvia) In addition, two topical Directorates built their own committees. The Referee Management Committee: Referee Director: Roger Lundbäck (Sweden) Deputy Referee Director Dennis Wall (Sweden) And the Media & Communications Committee: Media & Communications Director: Cassie Whittell (United Kingdom) Deputy Media & Communications Director: Matt Hudson (United Kingdom) Photography & Design Director Brad Merrett (United Kingdom) Press Officer: Adam Barlow (United Kingdom) Social Media Managers: Ola Bjerkevoll (Norway / United Kingdom); Sarah McCann (United Kingdom) Website Manager: Stephen Gale (United Kingdom) This is an impressive number of very active people, who have worked day in, day out for the future of CONIFA and football outside of FIFA. Never before has CONIFA had such a not only huge, but also very active and strong team. The Executive Committee conducted 13 meetings in 2019, 12 via Skype and 1 in person during the European Football Cup 2019 in Stepanakert, Artsakh. Activity Report 2019 MEMBERS – NEW MEMBERS 2019 At the end of 2018, CONIFA had 54 members. In 2019, 4 (Hawai’I, Mapuche, Rapa Nui, West Papua) members joined CONIFA. Thus, CONIFA today has 58 members from 6 continents. AFRICA: Barawa, Barotseland, Chagos Islands, Darfur, Kabylie, Matabeleland, Somaliland, Western Sahara, Zanzibar (9) ASIA : Arameans Suryoye, East Turkestan, Karen People, Kurdistan, Laz People, Lezghians, Panjab, Rohingya, Ryukyu, Tamil Eelam, Tibet, United Koreans in Japan, West Papua (13) EUROPE: Abkhazia, Chameria, Cornwall, County of Nice, Delvidek, Donetsk, Ellan Vannin, Felvidek, Franconia, Greenland, Jersey, Karpatalya, Luhansk, Monaco, Nagorno Karabakh, Northern Cyprus, Occitania, Padania, Raetia, Romani People, Sapmi, Sardinia, Skaneland, Szekely Land, South Ossetia, Transnistria, Western Armenia, Yorkshire (28) NORTH AM: Cascadia, Quebec (2) OCEANIA: Australian First Nations, Hawai’i, Kiribati, Tuvalu (4) SOUTH AM: Mapuche, Rapa Nui (2) CONIFA has grown in Asia, Europe and Oceania in 2019. AFRICA: 0% (+/-0) ASIA: +8% (+1) EUROPE: 0% (+/-0) NORTH AM: 0% (+/- 0) OCEANIA: +33% (+1) SOUTH AM: (+2) Through our members, we do now today represent roughly 400 million people on 6 continents. New members 2019: Activity Report 2019 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2019 The 6th CONIFA Annual General Meeting was held in Krakow, Poland, on January 26-27, 2019. The meeting was held in Hotel Witek outside of the city. CONIFA wants to express its gratitude to the team of Hotel Witek for organizing the whole event in an absolutely perfect manner. EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CUP 2019 The 3rd edition of the CONIFA European Football Cup was held across Artsakh in 4 venues (Stepanakert, Askeran, Martuni, Martakert) from the 1st of June to the 9th of June. 8 teams from across Europe competed in the tournament and played a total of 20 matches. The groups were drawn on January 27, 2019 in Hotel Witek in Krakow in a draw ceremony, which was broadcast live by mycujoo (https://mycujoo.tv/video/conifa?id=33967). The two groups of four were1: Group A Group B Abkhazia South Ossetia Chameria Western Armenia Artsakh Padania Sapmi Szekely Land A busy opening day of action concluded with the Opening Ceremony at the Republican Stadium in Stepanakert where a crowd of over 15,000 enjoyed the flag parade and a two-hour long opening ceremony. With four venues in use each day and eight games to be played, the match days were hectic and action-packed. Crowds exceeded expectations and as well as the many locals, some ground-hoppers made the long trip from Western Europe. 1 Group positions reflect the outcome of the group stage Activity Report 2019 Group A proved to be fiercely competitive with the host Artsakh narrowly not making it out of their group, despite a convincing opening match win vs. Sapmi and a draw against group winners Abkhazia. Group B was seen as a ‘Group of Death’ and proved fiercely competitive. To the surprise of most followers and against all odds, South Ossetia won the group, dropping their only points in a draw against Szekely Land in a then meaningless last match. Shockingly, the group also saw the twice European Champion Padania going out in group stage for the first time. In the semi-finals, both, South Ossetia and Western Armenia needed to rely on penalties to see of their respective opponents Chameria and Abkhazia. Abkhazia won the bronze medal, beating Chameria 1-0 in the bronze match, while South Ossetia won a the final in the most dramatic fashion. After scoring a “ghost goal” in the 68th min, which went in and then through the broken goal net, the Ossetian keeper saved a penalty in the 98th minute to ensure their success. Congratulations once again to the European Football Cup champions 2019 – South Ossetia! Activity Report 2019 TRAVELS – PRESENCE ON THE GROUND Feb Meeting the Rohingya in Kuala Lumpur and visiting Hongkong and Macao (Jens Jockel, Oscar Mussons) During early February, Jens Jockel, president of CONIFA Asia, headed to Hong Kong, Macao and Kuala Lumpur for a hectic few days, meeting various football associations and sponsors in the region. Jens and his team are looking to set up the first ever CONIFA Asia Cup and, as part of this, firstly met with All Black FC, a football team originally set up by refugees to assist displaced people who are seeking asylum in Hong Kong. CONIFA also met potential partners for the Asia Cup, visited various venues and looked at how CONIFA could benefit local teams in the region. Jens also travelled to Macao, to meet up with the Macao FA, as well as a potential regional sponsor, before heading to Kuala Lumpur with Oscar Mussons, general secretary of CONIFA Asia. There, the duo spent a couple of days working with Rohingya FC. The Rohingyan team was formed by refugees from Myanmar, who have fled to Kuala Lumpur to escape from the persecution in their home country, and who are eager to use football as a way of bringing their youth together. Activity Report 2019 26-28 Feb Member Visit to Western Sahara (Rene Jacobi) Between 26th February and 28th February 2019, René Jacobi, CONIFA’s Tournament Director, travelled to Algeria to visit camps there housing thousands of Western Sahara refugees. CONIFA members, the Western Sahara FA is looking to improve its set up and ensure those living in refugee camps can play a decent standard of football, something that can be almost impossible due to the lack of basic equipment and even a pitch. Players have to play on sandy, stony ground, often with no lines, nets in the goals, or enough kit to go around.